


I Will Protect You (From All Around You)

by doctornineandthreequarters



Category: 9-1-1 (TV), 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, Bipolar Disorder, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Kidnapping, Love Confessions, M/M, Worried Eddie Diaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:55:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29179086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctornineandthreequarters/pseuds/doctornineandthreequarters
Summary: “My dad was just acting off, but my mom said it was nothing.”“But it doesn’t feel like nothing.”---Or, a visit with Eddie's parents goes from bad to worse, leaving Eddie a broken mess and Buck trying to pick up the pieces.
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Eddie Diaz & Athena Grant (9-1-1 TV), Eddie Diaz & Eddie Diaz's Parents (9-1-1 TV), Eddie Diaz & Marjan Marwani, Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) & Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 162
Kudos: 530





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have been working on this story for awhile! I talked about it on my Tumblr when it was previously titled in my google docs "Poor Chris" (which should give you an indication of things to come). I had to edit it after the crossover since the boys now know the 126, but that actually made it a little more interesting. Anyways, please enjoy!

Eddie sighed to himself as his phone started ringing. Normally, he would ignore it, especially since he was having movie night with Buck and Christopher. But he knew who was calling and he knew he couldn’t ignore it.

“Dad,” Christopher said, a slight pout on his face. “Why’s your phone sound on? We’re watching a movie.” Even Buck couldn’t help but tilt his head at Eddie’s ringing phone. 

“Sorry mijo,” Eddie said, picking up his phone from the coffee table. “It’s your grandparents.”

“Want me to pause it?” Buck asked. Eddie shook his head as he got up. Buck just gave Eddie a look and Eddie attempted a smile. 

“I’ll just be a minute,” Eddie said. “You guys keep watching.” Buck nodded and glanced at Christopher, who was already fully enthralled in the movie again. Eddie exited the room, going into the kitchen. He answered the call on the last ring, fighting back a sigh when he realized it was a Facetime call. 

“ _Oh Eddie there you are_.” Eddie offered his mother a smile as she appeared on screen. “ _Were you busy_?”

“I was just watching a movie with Christopher and Buck.” His mother hummed at that and nodded. “Where’s dad?” 

“ _Oh um_.” A strange look passed over her face. _“He’s right here. He’s just...rearranging the dishes_.”

“What?” Eddie asked, confusion in his voice. His mother sighed and was about to say something when his father appeared in frame. 

“ _The dishes are all wrong,_ ” Ramon said with a huff. “ _We can never find anything because the dishes are all wrong_.”

“Dad, are you…” Eddie didn’t get to finish the question as his father disappeared from screen, muttering something about the salad plates. “Mom, is dad okay?”

“ _He’s fine_.” Eddie raised an eyebrow, not believing her. “ _He just has a little more energy than usual. Which will be great when we visit. He can run around with Christopher_.” Eddie chuckled at that, since the idea of his father running around with his son was a bit humorous. “ _We’ll be there Friday. Can you pick us up from LAX? We decided to fly._ ”

“Sure,” Eddie said. “I’ll bring Christopher along so he can see you guys right away.” His mother nodded and she glanced offscreen, concern on her face. “Mom, are you sure dad is okay?”

_“He’s fine,”_ She assured him. _“Everything’s fine. We’ll see you Friday, okay?”_ And before Eddie could respond, she ended the call. Eddie pursed his lips. Something was up, but as always, his parents were avoiding being honest with him. It annoyed him because he had picked up that terrible habit and he didn’t want Christopher learning that behavior. He wanted his wonderful son to be open about how he was feeling.

“Hey.” Eddie looked towards the entrance of the kitchen. Buck was standing there, watching him. “Everything good?”

“I think so,” Eddie said. “My dad was just acting off, but my mom said it was nothing.”

“But it doesn’t feel like nothing.” Eddie nodded and sighed. 

“I hate that they do this because it’s all I saw growing up,” Eddie said, pocketing his phone. “And I don’t want Chris to end up like that.”

“Hey, he won’t,” Buck said, crossing to Eddie. “Your kid’s got the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. He can’t help but share that goodness with everyone. Not to mention, he’s got a great dad.” Eddie smiled. Buck always seemed to know the right thing to say. Of course, that was why he liked spending time with Buck because of his ability to put a positive spin on anything. And if that meant Christopher saw that kind of positive behavior, well that was a win-win.

“You always know the right thing to say, huh?” Buck chuckled and shrugged. 

“I’m not as stupid as I look,” Buck said. Eddie furrowed his brow at that. He knew Buck was joking, but it bothered him hearing Buck tear himself down like that, even if it was just something little. 

“You’re not stupid, period.” Buck smiled softly at that. Eddie couldn’t help but smile back. It was in those moments that his heart raced a little faster and Eddie wanted to cross this line of friendship into something more. But he wasn’t sure if he was ready for that. Buck was the best friend he had ever had. And if he crossed that line, that friendship would be irrevocably changed and Eddie didn’t know if he was ready for that.

But in moments like this, he wished he was. 

“Dad! Buck!” The moment was broken when Christopher called for them. “You’re missing the movie!” Eddie chuckled and glanced towards the living room. 

“Guess we should get back,” Eddie said. “Even though we’ve watched this movie with him at least seven times.”

“Eight if you count that time he was sick and we had just gotten off a twenty-four hour shift.” Eddie snorted at that as they headed back into the living room. As he sat back on the couch, Christopher pressed against his side, a smile on his face. Eddie just ruffled his hair, sparing a glance at Buck, who was smiling at the two of them, before turning his attention to the movie. 

He could worry about his parents when they got there. For now, he could just enjoy his time with his two favorite people.

* * *

“You boys got any exciting plans this weekend?” They were in the firetruck headed to a call. From the information from dispatch, it seemed like it was a medical call. Eddie felt Buck glance over at him, as if waiting for his response.

“My parents are visiting,” Eddie said, glancing from Buck back to Hen. “I’m picking them up from LAX later.” The closer it got to his parents visit, the more Eddie couldn’t help but think back on how odd his dad has been acting. And having his mother wave it off and claim he was fine didn’t put Eddie at ease. In fact, it made him more worried. 

The truck came to a stop and Eddie hopped out. He looked towards Bobby, waiting for directions when a woman came running over. 

“Oh thank god you’re here,” She said, a little breathlessly. “My dad’s over here.” Bobby nodded and they followed her. “He’s been talking about building a treehouse for my kids lately and I told him he didn’t have to, especially because the tree in my backyard has been showing signs of rotting.” She led them around back, where they saw a large oak tree. “But he kept going on and on about it. And then he showed up today with all this stuff to build it and…” Her voice trailed off as she looked over at the tree. 

There was a man sitting with his back against the tree, holding his hand out. As the team approached, they could see there was a nail that had gone straight through his hand. 

“Deidre, I told you not the call 9-1-1,” The man said with a grimace. “God, this must look so stupid.”

“Can we take a look, sir?” Chimney asked and the man just sighed but nodded. 

“Dad, I told you this wasn’t a good idea.” Eddie just watched the man, noticing a slump in his shoulders as his daughter spoke. 

“Deidre, they’re my grandkids and they want a treehouse,” He said, hissing a little when Chimney moved his hand slightly. “And I should be able to do this. But apparently, like everything else, I failed.”

“The nail hasn’t gone all the way through,” Chimney said. “But you’ll need to go to the hospital to remove it, since we don’t know if it’s pressing against any major artery.”

“Great,” The man grumbled. “More people will see my failure.” His daughter raised an eyebrow at that. 

“Dad, did you take your pill?”

“Deidre!” The woman just gave him a look as Chimney and Hen turned to face her. 

“Sir, if you’re on medication, we’ll need to know.” The man simply frowned, covering his face with his other hand. It looked kind of sad, seeing him so upset over something so minimal. 

“It’s a mood stabilizer,” The woman explained. “It’s for…”

“Bipolar disorder,” Eddie said and the woman nodded. “Doesn’t get in the way of too many treatments, but it’ll be good to know when he last took it.”

“He would’ve taken it this morning,” The woman said, glancing at her father. Eddie noticed him avoiding her gaze. “Dad?”

“I ran out on Wednesday.”

“Dad!” He frowned heavily, looking like she had just slapped him. “Dad, you can’t just skip a dose. God, no wonder you were running around talking about this treehouse.”

“God, Deidre, I know!” Eddie looked over at Buck, who was wearing a similar expression to his. It was clear they all felt awkward being there for this. But they had been party to a lot of weird conversations on calls, so they were also strangely used to it. “I’m a failure. I failed building this treehouse, I failed in my marriage, and I failed you.”

“Dad no.” The woman knelt down, a kind expression on her face. “You haven’t failed anything. Look, the boys love you, treehouse or not, okay? But you have to get your prescription filled because the boys and I really want you around.” He smiled and she hugged him gently, avoiding his bad hand. 

“Alright sir, do you think you can walk?” He nodded and Chimney helped him up. Chimney escorted the man to the ambulance, Hen walking with the daughter.

“You ever think we hear way too much on these calls?” Buck asked as he and Eddie made their way back to the truck. Eddie couldn’t help but chuckle. “I mean really, sometimes it feels like people use these calls as like mini-counseling sessions.”

“Everyone deals with trauma differently,” Eddie said, watching as Chimney helped the man into the ambulance. His daughter got in after, taking his good hand. Seeing a woman so concerned about her father just reminded Eddie about his worries. And Buck, always by his side and always observant, simply bumped his shoulder with his, getting his attention. 

“You alright?” Buck asked. 

“Yeah,” Eddie said, even though that wasn’t totally true. “Yeah I’m good.” And to prove that to Buck, he patted his shoulder with a smile before getting back on the truck. Until he knew better, he’d just have to believe his mother that everything was fine.

* * *

“Dad?” Eddie glanced away from the dishes as Christopher spoke up. “Is Abuelo okay?” Eddie sighed internally because he didn’t have a good answer to that question. He didn’t think his dad was okay, especially not with how he was acting. 

His dad had been quiet since Eddie had picked his parents up at the airport. While his mother had sat in the back with Christopher and listened with a smile as the boy talked about school, his dad had sat up front, eyes clenched shut. He had said it was because he was tired and the plane ride had been uncomfortable. Which would’ve been fine except that twenty five minutes into the ride, his dad had basically barked at everyone to stop talking. What was even more concerning was how his mother just sighed, like she was used to that kind of behavior. 

Once they had gotten back to the house, his dad had disappeared into the guest room, grumbling something about being tired and slamming the door behind him. 

“I think he’s just tired, mijo,” Eddie said. Christopher was about to say something when there was a knock at the front door. “How about we go see who that is?”

“Maybe it’s Abuela or Pepa,” Christopher said, walking with Eddie. “They’re going to see grandma and abuelo while they’re here, right?” Eddie nodded, though he doubted it was either family member. His Abuela was coming over tomorrow to cook dinner for all of them and Pepa was joining them for dinner. So, he doubted whoever was knocking was one of them.

“Buck!” Christopher grinned when the door opened, revealing the blonde on the other side. Buck just smiled and ruffled the boys’ hair. 

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Eddie asked, a smile on his face. “Not that it’s not great to see you of course.” Buck chuckled as Eddie let him inside. 

“I know your parents are visiting,” Buck said. “But I found a notebook of Christopher’s in my apartment.” He held the notebook out and Eddie glanced at Christopher, who smiled sheepishly. “So, I figured I should drop it off.”

“What do you say, Chris?” Eddie asked, trying his best dad look which was being overshadowed by the smirk on his face. 

“Thanks Buck,” Christopher said. Buck squatted down to hand Christopher the notebook and Christopher hugged him tightly before taking the notebook.

“Edmundo.” The happy moment the three of them were sharing was abruptly shattered when his dad entered the room his mom a step behind him. “What’s going on here?”

“Buck was just bringing me my notebook,” Christopher said, smiling at Buck. “Thank you Buck!”

“Anytime buddy,” Buck said, straightening up. Christopher left the room as Eddie’s parents walked over to the door. Eddie tried not to frown at the scrutinizing look his parents were giving Buck. 

“And who’s this?” Ramon asked.

“This is Buck,” Eddie said. “He works with me. You met him at my ceremony, remember?” Ramon made a face, but Helena just nodded. 

“Oh right,” She said. “It’s good to see you.”

“That doesn’t explain why he’s here.” Eddie fought back a sigh as he glanced at Buck. Buck was clearly uncomfortable, based on the way he was starting to fidget with his hands. 

“Christopher left something at Buck’s apartment the last time we were there,” Eddie explained. “So, he was just dropping it off.” Ramon was about to say something, when Buck quickly cut in. 

“Yeah, but I have to get going anyway.” 

“You don’t have to,” Eddie said. Personally, with how his parents were acting, especially his dad, Eddie kind of needed a buffer or a distraction. And Buck was always good at being both of those things. 

“Edmundo.” His father’s voice was slightly harsh. “We didn’t come all this way to have visitors stepping in on our time with you and Christopher.” 

“I’ll just see you at work tomorrow,” Buck said. “Tell Christopher I said bye.” Eddie sighed, but nodded. Buck then quickly exited the house, closing the door behind him as he left. Eddie glanced over at his parents. His mother was watching his father, who had a frustrated look on his face. Eddie could only watch, worried what his father was going to say.

“You’re working tomorrow?” Eddie raised an eyebrow. Of all the things he was expecting to hear, that certainly hadn’t been what he expected. 

“I couldn’t get off,” Eddie said with a shrug. “I figured you two would enjoy spending the day with Christopher.” His father just shook his head, mumbling an expletive in Spanish before leaving the room. His mother was about to follow, when Eddie stopped her, “Mom, what the hell is going on with dad?”

“He’s just tired,” Helena said, but there was a concerning look in her eyes. “He’ll be fine after he gets some rest. And don’t worry about the work thing, we’d love to spend the day with Christopher.” She patted his arm before quickly leaving the room. Eddie watched her go, confused. 

All he knew was his worry about his dad had not decreased at all. In fact, he was way more worried now than he had been before.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is everything okay in here?” Helena asked, running into the room. “I heard…” She spotted the shattered blender on the floor and sighed. 
> 
> “Dad decided to reorganize my kitchen,” Eddie said with a sigh. “Look, you both have been acting weird since you got here and I’m starting to get worried.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Should I post chapter 2?  
> Callie: Do whatever you want to do.  
> Fern: ... But post chapter 2.
> 
> This is what it's like in our discord, lol.

Buck sighed as he knocked on the door to Maddie and Chimney’s apartment. He had texted Maddie, asking if he could come by after he left Eddie’s. 

“So, your plan didn’t work?” Maddie asked, as soon as she opened the door. Buck just huffed and Maddie stepped aside to let him. “Howie and Albert aren’t here by the way.”

“Well I’m glad you’re not just blabbing a secret I told you for everyone to hear,” Buck said as Maddie closed the door. “And where are they?”

“Howie is helping Albert find an apartment,” Maddie said as she walked over to the living room. Buck followed her, taking a seat on the couch. “Because he has until this little one is born to find a place of his own.” Maddie sat down next to him. “So, the plan didn’t work?”

“I didn’t even get to start it,” Buck said with a huff. “I went there, like I told you I would, to bring Christopher back his notebook and Eddie’s parents were just really mean. Like they clearly didn’t want me there, his dad even said so.” Buck sighed as he leaned back on the couch. “It’ll just have to wait until Eddie’s parents leave. After all, telling my best friend that I’m in love with him has waited this long, it can wait a few more days.” Maddie just patted his arm and Buck bit back another sigh.

He wasn’t exactly sure when he fell totally and completely head over heels for Eddie, but it didn’t matter. It had been a few weeks ago when he realized how deep his feelings were for Eddie. And once he realized how far gone he was on his best friend, he knew he needed to tell someone before he burst. So, he told Maddie, who wasn’t surprised at all (she pointed out that she had called Buck’s crush on Eddie years ago). And after lots of prodding from Maddie over the last couple of weeks, Buck realized he had to tell Eddie.

“Still doesn’t mean you can’t be a little frustrated.” Buck shrugged and Maddie offered him a smile. “And just remember, this is just a set-back. Don’t chicken out and not tell him at all, okay?”

“Mads, I don’t think that’s possible anymore,” Buck said. “I mean I went over there today because I feel like I’m going to burst now that I know how deeply I feel about him.”

“It’s called love,” Maddie said. “And it’s a good look on you. On both of us.” Buck sighed, but there was a small smile on his face. He knew that’s what it was, but until he actually told Eddie and knew for sure that Eddie felt something back, he couldn’t put a name to it.

At least not while Eddie’s parents were still around. 

“Well since you’re here,” Maddie said. “You can keep me company until the boys get back. How about a movie?”

“Sounds great.” And even though Buck wished he could finally be having a very important and very serious conversation with Eddie, he was glad he had Maddie, who was on his side no matter what.

* * *

Eddie sighed as he made his way down to the kitchen. He could hear Christopher talking to his mother, getting ready to start his stretches. His mother, for as much as she sometimes doubted his ability to parent, was letting the schedule that he and Christopher established go as normal, even if she did seem like she wanted to hover. 

He reached the kitchen and furrowed his brow when he saw his father moving around like he had been shot out of a cannon. 

“Dad?” Ramon didn’t bother turning around, just still moving about. “What are you doing?”

“Christopher could reach this,” Ramon said, moving the blender that was out on the counter. “He could hurt himself." 

“Dad, he can barely reach the counter,” Eddie said. “And even when he’s tall enough, he knows not to touch anything in the kitchen without an adult present.” Ramon just shook his head as he kept moving things around. The very fancy knife block that Buck had insisted he buy ( _ because your knives are horrible and everyone deserves good kitchen knives, Eddie _ ) was now sitting on top of the fridge. The coffee maker, which Eddie really wanted to get to so he could go about his morning routine, was unplugged and facing the wall. The blender Ramon was complaining about was currently being shoved into a cabinet. 

“Dad, stop.” Ramon shook his head, still trying to push the object into the cabinet. He shoved hard, forcing it into the cabinet. He sighed, pleased with himself. Eddie’s eyes widened as he saw it starting to tumble out of the cabinet. He pulled his father away right before the object came hurtling towards the ground, glass smashing everywhere. 

“Is everything okay in here?” Helena asked, running into the room. “I heard…” She spotted the shattered blender on the floor and sighed. 

“Dad decided to reorganize my kitchen,” Eddie said with a sigh. “Look, you both have been acting weird since you got here and I’m starting to get worried.”

“The only thing you should be worried about is how unsafe this house is for your son,” Ramon said. “Sharp knives where he could reach? Legos? No straws?”

“I know what my son needs,” Eddie said, fighting the anger that was building up in him. He didn’t know why his parents always needed to harp on his parenting abilities. He was doing a good job. Christopher was happy and healthy. Why wasn’t that enough?

“You clearly don’t,” Ramon said. “Or else you wouldn’t have moved to a different state, uprooting him from everything he knows.”

“This again?” Eddie asked with a scoff. “Dad, this is our home.”

“El Paso is his home!” Helena stepped towards Ramon, trying to calm him down, but he waved her off, even though his chest was heaving slightly and he had a wild look in his eyes. “El Paso is where Christopher belongs and you ripped that away from him!”

“Christopher huh?” Eddie felt a long forgotten rage building in him. “For someone who has never given a crap about me, you sure do have a lot to stay about how I raise my son.”

“Because you should have never been the one raising him!”

“Ramon!” Eddie stalked towards his father, ready to say something. Ramon just stared back at him. The wild look in his eye was unfamiliar to Eddie. So was the way he was acting. Eddie just sighed and shook his head. He walked past both of them, starting to exit the kitchen. 

“I’m calling Abuela,” Eddie said, not looking back at them. “I’d prefer she be here with Chris while I’m at work.” And then Eddie left the room. He couldn’t believe how his dad was acting. He knew they doubted him, especially when it came to raising Christopher, but saying Eddie should never be raising Christopher? That was a low blow, even for his father. 

“Dad?” Christopher poked his head out of his room. Eddie sighed and walked into his son’s room. “Is everything okay? I heard yelling.”

“Sorry, mijo,” Eddie said, sitting down on Christopher’s bed. Christopher pulled himself up on the bed and pressed himself against Eddie’s side. Eddie sighed and pressed a kiss to his son’s head. “Your grandparents and I just talk too loudly sometimes.”

“Like that time before we left El Paso?”

“Yeah.” Christopher nodded, his arms wrapping around Eddie. “I love you kid. So much.”

“I love you too.” They sat there in silence, Eddie trying to push away the rage and disappointment and focus on Christopher and how much he loved his son. “Hey dad? Can I come with you to the station today? I don’t want to stay here if grandma and Abuelo were being mean to you.” Eddie smiled sadly and pressed another kiss to his son’s hair.

“Well I was going to call your bisabuela and see if she could come over and make those cookies you like so much,” Eddie said. Christopher frowned a little. “Mijo, whatever happens between your grandparents and me, I don’t want that to change how you feel about them, okay? They love you so much. We all do.”

“Okay,” Christopher said. “But if Abuela is making those cookies, then we have to bring them to the station so you and Buck can have some.” Eddie smiled, earning a toothy grin from Christopher. 

“Sounds like a plan, kid,” Eddie said, standing up. “Now, how about you finish your stretches and getting ready in my room?” Christopher nodded as Eddie scooped him up. And if Eddie felt a little extra lucky because his kid hugged him a little tighter, well that was his business. 

* * *

“Penny for your thoughts?” Eddie attempted a smile as Buck presented him with a penny. He knew he was acting off. The looks from the team had indicated that. But as much as he tried to push past his argument with his dad, he couldn’t. His dad had said a lot of hurtful things to him, but saying that Eddie never deserved to raise Christopher was a true stab to the heart. And it made Eddie never want his dad around Christopher again. But, he had work and as much as he hated leaving Christopher (he had really considered calling Bobby and asking if Christopher could stay at the station, but had thought better of it), he knew he had to. At least his Abuela was able to go to the house, which made him feel a little better about the situation. 

“You know that’s a turn of phrase, right?” Buck chuckled as he sat down next to Eddie. “You don’t actually have to give someone a penny.”

“Yeah well I found it on the ground,” Buck said. “And Maddie always strongly believed in the saying ‘find a penny, pick it up, then all day long you’ll have good luck’. And you looked like you could use some good luck.” Eddie wanted to smile at that, since Buck always had the uncanny ability of making him feel better. It was one of the things that Eddie really liked about him.

“You’re giving me your good luck?”

“Yeah.” And it was such a simple answer, but reminded Eddie of how wonderful and understanding Buck was. And it reminded him of how judgemental his parents, specifically his dad had been that morning. He sighed and he saw concern flit across Buck’s face. “Eddie?”

“I got into an argument with my parents this morning,” Eddie said, running a hand down his face. “Well, really my dad.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Buck asked. Eddie sighed. He didn’t really want to talk about it because he was worried he would get frustrated and that would get in the way of work. But Buck was just watching him with a patient look. It was that kindness that made Eddie not only want to cross the line between friendship and something more, but also trust Buck with just about anything. 

“You know how I said my dad was acting weird?” Buck nodded. “And my mom just kept insisting he was fine?” Another simple nod from Buck as Eddie continued. “Well today he was reorganizing my kitchen, saying there were too many things out that were unsafe for Christopher.” Buck raised an eyebrow at that. “He put the knife block on top of the refrigerator.”

“Geez,” Buck said and Eddie just nodded. “So how did that turn into an argument?”

“Because when I tried to talk to him about his behavior,” Eddie started. “He went off on me, criticizing how I raise Christopher and saying I ripped him away from his home.” Buck frowned heavily at that. “He also said I should never have been raising him in the first place.” Eddie let his head tilt down. It was hard to believe in his own ability as a parent when his own parents were doubting him all the time. And as angry as he had been at his dad, what he really felt was hurt.

“Your dad is wrong.” He looked up at Buck, who had an intense look in his eyes. It reminded him of that night in Buck’s apartment when Buck kept apologizing for not being there for Eddie and Christopher after the tsunami. “Eddie, you’re an amazing dad. You would do anything for Christopher and you love him so much. If your parents don’t understand that, then that’s their loss. But you are Christopher’s dad and you are exactly who that kid needs.”

“You always know what to say, huh?” Eddie said, echoing the words from the other night. Buck just shrugged, a shy smile crossing his face. It was in these moments when it would be so easy to lean over and kiss Buck. But on top of his fear of ruining their friendship and Christopher losing another person that was important to him, this was definitely not the time or place. So, he just pushed past that feeling, just patting Buck’s arm instead. “Thank you, Buck.”

“Anytime Eds.” The bell chose that moment to off and they both got up, quickly jogging downstairs. Eddie quickly grabbed his gear and got into the truck. As he put the headphones on, he felt his heart stop. 

Because the call was at his house. 

He felt his chest tighten. It was his house they were going. His house where his son was. His son who had asked to go to work with Eddie, who had asked not to be left home with his parents. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fight down the panic. 

“Eddie.” He knew it was Buck before he even opened his eyes. “Eddie, breathe.”

“My...my house.” He gasped for air and he felt Buck’s hold on his arm tighten. 

“Eddie, you have to breathe.” His eyes opened, ready to say something, but Buck cut him off. “Eddie, focus. I need you to breathe.” Buck modeled what he wanted Eddie to do and Eddie forced himself to take a few big breaths.

“Buck,” Eddie stuttered out, reaching for Buck’s arm. “Chris....”

“I know Eddie,” Buck said. “Just keep breathing okay?” And even with Buck right there, Eddie could barely keep his breathing steady, could hear nothing but Buck’s voice and the thumping of his unsteady heart. 

Because if anything happened to Christopher, Eddie would never be able to live with himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Christopher!” He burst through the door, looking around wildly. The house was eerily quiet. He caught his breath, deciding his next move when he felt a hand grab his arm. 
> 
> “Running into a situation before it’s declared safe?” It was Bobby, giving Eddie a scolding look. Buck, Hen, and Chimney were right behind Bobby, Buck looking like he was ready to jump in and defend Eddie. Eddie was also ready to defend his actions because he needed to make sure Christopher was safe. 
> 
> But a shout stopped him in his tracks. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jamie: damn you for that cliffhanger. can i have ch 3 now?  
> Me: No. But you can have it on Saturday...as a little treat.
> 
> Here's your treat Jamie...if you can call this chapter that.

The truck had barely stopped when Eddie tumbled out, running towards the house. He could hear people shouting his name and he was sure Buck was running after him, but he didn’t care. He needed to make sure his son was okay. 

“Christopher!” He burst through the door, looking around wildly. The house was eerily quiet. He caught his breath, deciding his next move when he felt a hand grab his arm. 

“Running into a situation before it’s declared safe?” It was Bobby, giving Eddie a scolding look. Buck, Hen, and Chimney were right behind Bobby, Buck looking like he was ready to jump in and defend Eddie. Eddie was also ready to defend his actions because he needed to make sure Christopher was safe. 

But a shout stopped him in his tracks. 

“Edmundo!” He ran into the kitchen, his eyes going wide when he saw his Abuela on the ground. Her ankle was swollen and she had the towel from the oven pressed to her head. She grabbed his arm as soon as he bent down to check on her. “Nieto, lo siento.”

“Everything’s going to be okay Abuela.” He gently helped her to a sitting position. He turned to see Hen and Chimney coming into the kitchen. “Hen and Chimney are going to take care of you, okay?” She just nodded and Eddie couldn’t help but feel haunted by the terrified look on her face. He stood up quickly as Hen and Chimney moved to help his Abuela. He was two steps from leaving the kitchen when Bobby tried to stop him. 

“Eddie.”

“I need to find my kid.” Bobby tried to move in front of Eddie, but Buck blocked him, allowing Eddie to exit the kitchen. “Christopher!” He moved down the hallway towards his son’s room. He saw the door was cracked open but didn’t hear anything. He was about to call for Christopher again when he heard a muffled sound. He turned, realizing it was coming from the linen closet. He moved towards the door, the sound growing a little louder. When he realized it was a muffled cry for help, he pulled the door open.

Shock ran through him a second time when he found his mother on the floor. She let out a muffled sob as soon as she saw him. He nearly stumbled over his own feet trying to get to her. There was a bandana tied around her head and stuffed in her mouth. He gently pulled it away, his heart hammering in his chest. 

“Mom, what the hell happened?” He took a moment to look her over. There weren’t any noticeable marks on her other than the tear tracks staining her cheeks. Her hands were bound behind her back with duct tape. Eddie checked his pockets, trying to find something to slice through it. 

“I should have told you what was going on.” Eddie froze. “I’m so sorry.” He felt the tightening in his chest returning. The way she and his Abuela had looked at him...Eddie shook his head, not ready to hear it. He got up, ready to tear through the house, when he saw Athena and Buck standing in the hallway. 

“There’s no one else here,” Athena said, remorse in her voice. Eddie shook his head again. 

“No.” He could feel the panic clawing up in his chest. That couldn’t be true. Christopher had to be there. He felt Buck pulling him away from the linen closet but Eddie tried to fight him away. “I have to...he’s here! I have to find him!”

“Eddie, stop!” Buck shouted. Athena had moved into the linen closet, helping his mother up and asking her questions. Eddie looked towards the door of Christopher’s room. His son had to be in there because his kid was smart. He was just hiding because his son was safe. He tried to move, but Buck grabbed a hold of his arms, keeping him from breaking away. Eddie just tried to fight away from him, a broken noise escaping his throat.

But everything stopped when he heard his mother. 

“He took him. My husband Ramon, he took Christopher.” A sob ripped through Eddie’s throat as he stumbled forward. He felt Buck secure his arms around him, keeping him from tumbling down to the floor. Eddie’s vision was quickly blurred from tears. Christopher was gone. His father had taken Christopher after saying Eddie didn’t deserve to raise his own son.

He felt Buck’s hold tighten on him and Eddie just buried his face in Buck’s shoulder, trying to muffle the sounds of his sobs. Normally, knowing Buck was there would’ve soothed him in a way. But nothing could calm him down.

Christopher was gone. And it was all his fault.

* * *

“Start from the beginning.” Eddie was sitting on the couch next to his mother. Hen and Chimney had taken his Abuela to the hospital. Eddie had tried to dial Pepa’s number, to tell her what was going on, but his hands had been shaking too badly. Buck had gently taken his phone, telling Eddie to sit with his mother while Buck called Pepa. Bobby and the rest of the crew had gone back to the station, telling Eddie to call him if he needed anything. 

Eddie glanced over at his mother, who looked as wrecked as he felt. His dad had been acting off and she had known why. He could see the guilt in her eyes because of that. He wanted to be upset or frustrated, but he felt numb. And he wasn’t sure that numbness would go away until he found Christopher. 

Athena was standing in front of them, waiting to take Helena’s statement. She had already put an APB out on Christopher’s disappearance, but Eddie was worried that it wasn’t enough, that his father was god knows where with his son. But until they knew more, he just had to sit and find out what was really wrong with his father. 

“My husband was diagnosed with bipolar disorder,” Helena said. “Two weeks ago.”

“Mom.” Helena let out a sob, covering her mouth to muffle the noise. “Why didn’t you…”

“He didn’t want anyone else to know,” Helena said. “Not you, not your sisters, not Isabel. He was...he was in denial about it, claiming he was fine.”

“Was he on medication?” Athena asked gently and Helena shook her head. Eddie gripped his fists. He thought of the call they took the other day, with the man who had gotten hurt after a manic episode. That man had been on medication but had slipped off for a day or two. His dad wasn’t on any medication. There was no telling what he might…

Eddie shook his head, standing up quickly. Athena gave him a look, concerning mapping her features.

“I need a moment,” Eddie said, a rawness to his voice. Before anyone could say anything, he left the living room. He was glad he knew his own house so well because tears were already clouding his vision. He barely made it into his room, the door probably not shut properly as he fell down onto his bed. 

His lips snapped shut, trying to not let out another round of sobs that were threatening to bubble out. His chest grew tight as he thought about all of the signs. He was a medic, damn it, he should’ve seen that his father acting strangely wasn’t random. He should’ve seen the signs. And he shouldn’t have left Christopher with his father.

“Eddie.” He didn’t have to see through his tears to know it was Buck. “Eddie, breathe.” It was then that he realized he was sucking in pathetic attempts at breath, wheezes coming out in return. “Eddie, please.” He felt Buck grip his arm and it was a comforting weight, pulling him away from the panic. He sucked in a few breaths, steadying his rapidly beating heart. 

“I’m sorry,” Eddie said, when the panic had subsided. “I just…”

“Eddie, you have nothing to be sorry for,” Buck said, reaching his thumb up to flick a few tears away. “You’re scared. Terrified even. But we’re going to find Christopher, okay? Athena’s on the case and she’s the best person for the job. And I promise you that I’m not going to stop until we find him.”

“Like during the tsunami.” It came out before Eddie could stop himself. He remembered the pure exhaustion on Buck’s face when he had found him at the field hospital. Buck had worked himself to the point of nearly passing out, just trying to find his son. And he knew after that day that Buck would do anything for Christopher. Buck just nodded and a sad smile crossed Eddie’s face. “You love him so much.”

“He’s not the only one I love,” Buck said quietly. Eddie just looked at Buck, not sure what to say. He knew they were always circling around something. But he always thought that they’d never get there, that there would keep being these little roadblocks making it impossible to cross that line. 

But Buck had crossed it, simple as that.

“I know this isn’t the right time,” Buck said. “But I just...I need you to know that whatever it takes to find Christopher, to help you, I’m going to be right there Eddie. I love you.” Eddie stared at his best friend, in awe of his pure honesty and goodness. This man loved him and loved his son. He would do anything for them. That had new tears forming in Eddie’s eyes, but not out of sadness. They were out of gratitude for this wonderful person who loved him. 

Buck started to pull away, regret on his face. But, Eddie grabbed the front of his shirt, hauling Buck closer to him. Their lips collided together, a flurry of unspoken words and waiting too long to get to this moment. Buck’s hands came up to cradle Eddie’s face, kissing him so deeply Eddie was sure he might just melt into the bed he was sitting on. 

“I love you too,” Eddie said, when he pulled away breathlessly. “You and Christopher, you’re my whole world.” His lips trembled at the mention of his son. Buck’s thumb gently caressed Eddie’s cheek. “We have to...um…”

“Yeah,” Buck said. Eddie felt off-kilter. On one hand, he felt an all-encompassing joy at finally crossing that line with Buck. But he also felt a soul-destroying grief at the reminder that Christopher was still missing. “We’re going to find Christopher, Eddie. We’re going to find him and then we’re all going to go home together.”

And Eddie just nodded. Because anything less than that just wouldn’t do.

* * *

Eddie sighed as he exited his bedroom, Buck a step behind him. Athena had texted Buck, saying she had new information. Eddie was glad Athena had done that and not knocked on the door, since he was still kind of a mess. He had a hard time being okay with others seeing him in such a vulnerable state. He had broken down in front of Bobby one time and had felt like a cry-baby for days. Of course, Bobby had been nothing but supportive (while also telling him he had to go to therapy). But Eddie still had a hard time being open with people. 

But luckily, he had Buck. 

Buck wore his heart on his sleeve. It was one of the things Eddie loved about Buck, how open he was, how easy it was for him to share and express how he was feeling. And knowing that kind of person wanted to be around him and loved him, well that made Eddie feel safe enough to be vulnerable with him. Maybe not with others yet, but he was sure with Buck by his side he’d get to that eventually. 

He reached the living room and was a little surprised to only see Athena. He was about to speak, when she jumped in. 

“I had a squad car bring your mother to the hospital,” Athena explained. “I figured she could get checked out and then stay with your grandmother.” Eddie just nodded. 

“You uh, said you had new information.” Athena nodded. 

“A man matching your father’s description rented a car a few hours ago,” Athena said. “The owner of the rental place called it in because the man was acting strange. They also said there was a boy with him on crutches.”

“Was…” Eddie heard the shaking in his voice and he tried to steady himself. “Is my son okay?”

“The owner of the rental place said the boy was crying but other than that seemed okay.” Eddie just nodded, trying to still the rapid beating of his heart. “I was going to head down there, see what information I could get from the guy about the car. Figured you two would want to come with me.”

“Thank you, Athena.” Athena just nodded. 

“I’m not sure why your father would need a car…” Athena started to say, but Eddie cut her off.

“We had an argument this morning,” Eddie said. “He said I should’ve never brought Christopher here. So if he rented a car, he has to be going back to El Paso.”

“Well, we’ll see what we can do to stop that,” Athena said. Eddie just nodded and she headed out of the house. Eddie glanced back at Buck, who just reached for Eddie’s hand. Eddie took a few breaths, letting the warmth of Buck’s hand soothe him. 

Then, with a nod to Buck, he followed after Athena.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This isn’t your fault Eddie.”
> 
> “Buck, he asked me if he could come to work with me,” Eddie said, his hands gripping into fists. “He didn’t...He didn’t want to be around my parents and told me that. And I didn’t listen to him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The kids in the discord said I should update, so here we are!

Eddie sat in the front of Athena’s car, trying to calm the shaking of his leg. Athena was inside the rental place, talking to the guy who was in charge. She had asked them to stay in the car, which Eddie didn’t blame her for doing. After all, he looked like a mess and probably would not be able to stay silent while Athena talked to the man. 

He remembered how Buck had been when Maddie had gone missing. He remembered how Athena let Buck go with her as she tried to find Maddie, but only if he listened to her and didn’t step out of line. Eddie was sure those rules applied now, which was why he had to stay in the car. Everything about Christopher being missing made him want to lose his cool because he needed to find his son and know he was okay. 

“Eds?” He glanced back at Buck, who was watching him with a patient expression. Eddie didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t okay, he was a worried mess. “This isn’t your fault Eddie.”

“Buck, he asked me if he could come to work with me,” Eddie said, his hands gripping into fists. “He didn’t...He didn’t want to be around my parents and told me that. And I didn’t listen to him.”

“Eddie, there was no way you could’ve known what was going on with your dad,” Buck said, moving forward in his seat so he was a little closer to Eddie. 

“I just,” Eddie said, leaning his head back against the seat. “I just wish I had listened to my gut.”

“You did,” Buck said, reaching for Eddie’s arm. “You called your Abeula and made sure she was there. You did what was right for Christopher.” Eddie sniffed, feeling tears prick at the corner of his eyes. He was about to disagree with that when he saw Athena exiting the building. He sniffed and sat up a little taller.

“Well?” Buck asked as soon as Athena got into her car. She gave Buck a look and he just nodded towards Eddie. She just huffed out a breath before looking over at Eddie. 

“Your dad showed up about six hours ago,” Athena said. “Said he kept looking around and fidgeting impatiently with his hands. He said the boy with him didn’t speak up or do anything at all until your dad looked away and then looked up at him, so the guy behind the desk could see he was crying. Once they were gone, the guy called 9-1-1.”

“Is there any way we can know where they are now?” Buck asked, noticing the way Eddie had tensed up. 

“The guy doesn’t normally use trackers or lojack,” Athena explained. “He’s got it embedded in the cars, but has never had a reason for it. But, once he saw the crying kid, he flicked it on.” Eddie let out a breath as Athena pulled out her phone and handed it to Eddie. 

“They’re on Interstate 10,” Eddie said.

“Heading to El Paso like you said,” Athena said, starting up the car. “They’ve got a few hours on us but every cop between here and Texas knows to keep an eye out for that car with a man and a small boy. We’re going to catch up to them.”

“Thank you, Athena.”

“I’d want someone to do all of this if it was May or Harry,” Athena said and Eddie nodded, a small pool of relief trickling through him. “Now buckle up.” Eddie did as he was told before glancing back at Buck. Buck just sent him a comforting smile. It made Eddie feel incredibly grateful for Buck. He remembered the sheer panic in Buck’s eyes when they had sat in the hospital the night Maddie went missing. He knew that Buck had to be panicking about Christopher being missing. But he was focusing on Eddie. And if Eddie wasn’t already completely lost on that man, he would’ve fallen head over heels all over again.

As Athena started to drive, Eddie just had to focus on that gratitude and not the swirling pit of worry about his son. 

* * *

Eddie sighed as he glanced over at Athena’s phone. They had been on the road for a few hours. He had tried to close his eyes and sleep, since it was an eleven hour drive to El Paso. But he kept seeing that look on Christopher’s face when he had asked to go to work with Eddie. He kept seeing that little pout when Eddie had left that morning. That guilt alone had him unable to sleep.

“Do you wanna check where they are?” Athena asked, glancing over at Eddie. Eddie just nodded wordlessly. “Go ahead. We’re on this highway for a while.” Eddie reached for her phone, switching from the maps app to the app that was running the lojack.

“What the…” He stared wide-eyed at the map. “No, that’s not...no.” Athena glanced at Eddie, noting the concern in his voice. Athena was about to ask what was wrong when her phone started ringing. She nodded to Eddie, who pressed the accept button, putting the call on speaker. 

“This is Sergeant Athena Grant.”

“ _Hi Sergeant Grant, this is Lieutenant Chase with the El Paso PD_.”

“I’m hoping you have good news for me Lieutenant Chase.”

“ _Unfortunately no_.” Eddie sucked in a breath, not liking the sound of that. “ _We believe your suspect was aware that the police are looking for him. A car matching the description in the APB was seen leaving city limits about a half hour ago. We have state troopers on it but it seems your suspect is heading past El Paso_.”

“Thank you for your help, Lieutenant.” The call ended and Eddie wanted to chuck the phone. It felt like everything that could go wrong, was going wrong. “That’s what you noticed on the map, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” Eddie said. He pulled the lojack map back up and he placed the phone back in the holder. “He got back on I-10.” Athena sighed and nodded towards the road. 

“There’s a rest stop up ahead,” She said. “We’ll stop for a minute so I can make some calls.” Eddie just nodded. “We’re going to find them, Eddie.” He wanted to believe that. He wanted to believe that they would get to his son. But as time ticked off, all he could feel was the horrible fear that he would never see his son again. 

He felt a hand on his arm. He let out a sigh, knowing it was Buck. As Athena pulled into the rest stop and got out of the car, Eddie squeezed his eyes shut, trying to let the feeling of Buck’s hand ground him. He couldn’t panic. He couldn’t worry.

He just needed to breathe and hope they could find Christopher.

* * *

“I got it.” Marjan reached for the black folder holding the bill for brunch. Paul gave her a look, Marjan simply matching it, before he held up his hands. Marjan smiled victoriously before taking it. “After all, it’s the least I can do since you’re teaching me how to box.”

“I think I’m less teaching and more being a human punching bag.” Marjan snorted at that as she handed the check and her card to the waiter. “Though brunch was a great idea. That meal will keep me filled up until dinner at the station later.”

“Cooking up something special?” Marjan asked. 

“Nah,” Paul said. “Judd said Grace made her famous chili and she made sure there was enough for him to bring to the station.”

“That chili is so good,” Marjan said. “Even if it does make Judd as red as a tomato.” They both chuckled at that as the waiter brought Marjan her card back. Once she signed the bill and left a gracious tip, they got up. 

“So rumor around the station is you took that derby girl up on her offer,” Paul said as they made their way to their cars. “So, when are we seeing you kick some derby ass?”

“When I finish fresh meat training,” Marjan said. Paul raised an eyebrow. “Just because I have experience on one derby team, doesn’t mean I’m a shoo-in for this one.”

“Well just remember,” Paul said as they stopped at Marjan’s car. “Shift your hips when you punch.”

“Billy Blanks has nothing on you.” Paul snorted at that. Marjan unlocked her car and was about to say something when a boy across the street caught her eye. He was moving on crutches, seemingly being guided by an older-looking man. Marjan furrowed her brows. “What the…”

“You okay?” Paul asked, tracking where she was looking. “Your face is doing that thing that everyone says mine does when I’m doing a thing.”

“You do have a certain face when you do the thing,” Marjan mumbled to him before taking her phone out. She quickly opened instagram and scrolled to her followers list. It had only been about a month since firefighters from other states had come to help with the wildfires. Finding Eddie’s name wasn’t that hard and she clicked on it.

“Why are you stalking Diaz?” Paul asked, raising an eyebrow. Marjan clicked on the first picture, a shot of Eddie’s son, before glancing back across the street. 

“Because that’s his kid,” Marjan said, pointing to the boy, who was now stopped. The older man with him had a baseball cap on, so Marjan couldn’t see his face. But between the glasses, the curly hair, and the crutches, Marjan knew that was Eddie’s son. 

“You think he came to visit?” Paul asked. “Because Judd mentioned he was from Texas.”

“Maybe,” Marjan said, still watching the boy. “I’m going to call him.” She had a weird feeling about seeing Christopher, especially because Eddie had told Judd he would give them all a heads-up if he was ever back in Austin. 

So, she took out her phone and dialed Eddie’s number.

* * *

Eddie had moved to the backseat, now sitting with Buck, who was doing his best to keep Eddie calm. Of course, it was all pretty moot since Eddie was a nervous wreck. 

“I’m sorry I’m not better company,” Eddie mumbled, just loud enough for Buck to hear. Athena had given them a scrutinizing look when Eddie moved to the backseat, but hadn’t said anything. He was sure on any other day she might’ve said something, since he was sure the whole team had money on when he and Buck would pull their heads out of their asses and figure things out, but today was not the day for jokes.

“Eds, it’s fine,” Buck said. “I know what it’s like, to be terrified and trying to find him.”

“I’m surprised you’re not freaking out more.” Buck’s hand interlaced with his, giving his hand a squeeze. 

“Internally I am,” Buck said. “But I’m also trying to support you since you’re his dad and probably freaking out way more than I am.”

“You’re…” Eddie trailed off. Sure, Buck wasn’t biologically a parent to Christopher, but he was just as important. In fact, if Eddie took the time to really assess it, he and Buck had been co-parenting Christopher for awhile now. Of course, he had been too afraid to take a closer look at that. But now, as Buck sat with him, attempting to keep him calm as they drove nearly twenty hours, he knew it was the moment to acknowledge it. “He’s just as much yours as he is mine.”

“Eddie.”

“I mean it Buck,” Eddie said, squeezing his hand. “Even before this, I wouldn’t know what I’d do without you. You’ve become a really important part in mine and Christopher’s life.” Buck smiled at that. He glanced towards the front, where Athena was driving, and doing a good job of pretending like she wasn’t totally eavesdropping on them. Buck just lifted Eddie’s hand and pressed a kiss to the palm.

“We’re going to talk about this more later,” Buck said and Eddie just nodded. “But for now, thank you.”

“You’re one I should be thanking.” And Eddie meant it. Knowing Buck was tempering his own worry to support him meant more than Eddie could express. Of course, after the conversation at his house, he would have a lot of opportunities to properly thank Buck. 

But first, they had to find Christopher.

His phone started buzzing and Eddie bit back a sigh. He had expected at some point that his mother or some other family member would call him, fretting about Christopher. But, as he stared at the caller ID, he raised an eyebrow. 

“Hello?”

“ _Hey Eddie, it’s Marjan_.” Buck just watched him as he took the call, curious as to who he was talking to. 

“Uh hey Marwani,” Eddie said, a little confused as to why Marjan was calling him. They had texted once or twice since they had met, but they hadn’t spoken in a few weeks.

“ _Why didn’t you tell me you were in Austin_?” Eddie raised an eyebrow. “ _You said you’d tell us if you came to visit. So, what gives?”_

“Marjan, what are you talking about?” Eddie had too much on his mind to figure out what sort of game this was. Was she flirting with him? There had been a moment where they had been a little too friendly with each other, a playful banter about their social media feeds. But that had all melted away when Eddie had mentioned Buck helping him build the skateboard.

“ _Your kid’s across the street from me_.”

“In Austin?” Buck was watching him and even Athena was looking back and forth between the road and Eddie. “Marjan, are you telling me that my kid’s in Austin?”

“ _Uh yeah_?” Eddie felt his breath catch in his throat. “ _I figured you were too. Is something wrong_?”

“My dad took him,” Eddie said, sitting up in his seat. “He took him and we’ve been trying to track him.”

“ _Oh my god_ ,” Marjan said quietly. He heard her mumble something, as if she pulled the phone away. _“Okay, I have eyes on him right now. Paul’s with me and he’s calling TK’s boyfriend, who’s a cop_.”

“Does he look okay?” Athena gave him a look and Eddie pulled the phone away. “Christopher and my dad are in Austin.” Athena nodded, using one hand to type directions in the GPS.

“We’re a few hours out from there.”

“Marjan, any way you can keep an eye on my kid?”

“ _I can try_ ,” Marjan said. “ _They’re moving now. I can keep up with them while they’re on foot. You said you were tracking them_?”

“My dad rented a car,” Eddie explained. “We’ve got the lojack up.”

“ _Text me the license plate number_ ,” Marjan said. “ _I can forward it to Carlos who can make sure Austin PD is on the lookout for them. How soon will you be here_?”

“A few hours.” 

“ _Paul and I have work_ ,” Marjan said. “ _When you get here, head to the 126_.”

“Copy that.” Eddie felt a sense of relief he hadn’t felt in hours. “Thank you, Marjan.”

“ _Just glad I was in the right place at the right time."_

“Still, thank you so much Marjan,” Eddie said, letting out a sigh of relief. “We’ll see you soon.” And then he ended the call. He let his head fall back against the headrest for a moment, feeling like maybe things would finally be okay.

“Eddie?” Eddie’s eyes opened. He could see Buck watching him and Athena still glancing between the rearview mirror and the road. 

“That was Marjan Marwani from the 126 in Austin,” Eddie explained. “She just saw Christopher in Austin.”

“Well that’s helpful,” Athena said. “A damn good lead in fact.” Eddie nodded as she shifted her focus between her phone and paying attention to driving. He felt Buck squeeze his hand. 

“It just might be okay.”

“Yeah Eddie,” Buck said, his hand a comforting weight against Eddie’s. “It will be.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie moved quickly as he walked through the doors of the station. Knowing he had friends in Austin that could help him was good, but he was still a bundle of nerves. 
> 
> “Eddie.” He nodded when he spotted Judd. Judd stuck out his hand and Eddie shook it. “Good to see you. Wish it was under better circumstances.”

Eddie moved quickly as he walked through the doors of the station. Knowing he had friends in Austin that could help him was good, but he was still a bundle of nerves. 

“Eddie.” He nodded when he spotted Judd. Judd stuck out his hand and Eddie shook it. “Good to see you. Wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said, as he let go of Judd’s hand. Judd glanced past Eddie, noticing Buck and Athena. “You remember Buck, right?” Judd nodded. “And this is Athena. She’s a field sergeant in Los Angeles.”

“Right,” Judd said. 

“Athena Grant, nice to meet you.”

“Judd Ryder,” Judd said with a nod. “And anything to help a fellow Texan.” He started walking and Eddie and Athena walked in step with him, Buck a step behind them. “We’ve got someone here who can help you.” He led them into the kitchen of the station. Eddie recognized everyone he had worked alongside with during the wildfires. There was one male that Eddie didn’t recognize, but he was wearing a police uniform, so that seemed helpful. 

“Hey,” Marjan said, nodding towards them.

“Thank you again for calling me,” Eddie said to her.

“Yeah, glad to help,” Marjan said and Eddie just nodded, still feeling like a bundle of nerves.

“Speaking of help,” TK said, cutting in. “This is Carlos.”

“Officer Reyes?” Athena asked and he nodded. “I spoke with your captain not too long ago. Said you were the one who brought the matter to his attention.”

“Paul called me after Marjan spotted his son,” Carlos explained, nodding to Eddie. “He looped me in on what was going on but my captain filled in some blanks after you called him. He made sure that we’ve got uniformed officers on the ground looking for them.”

“Good,” Athena said with a nod. “Hopefully they can find them.”

“We also found the rental car,” Carlos said. “Car was in good condition, it just seems like they ran out of gas and decided to move on foot, which is probably when Marjan saw them.” Eddie winced at that, unable to imagine his father making Christopher walk after being stuck in a car for hours.

“Did you have cars follow their path after they were spotted?” Athena asked as Eddie tried to stay calm.

“Already done,” Carlos said. “But they were gone by the time officers got to that neighborhood.” Eddie frowned again. “Does your dad have a phone that we could track? Maybe through find my phone?”

“He hates most technology,” Eddie said with a sigh. It had been the first thing he thought of, back in Los Angeles. “He’s still got a crummy flip phone.” Carlos just nodded. 

“That’s alright,” Carlos said. He must’ve noticed the slump in Eddie’s shoulder or the worry in his eyes. “I’m going to do what I can to find your son.” Eddie just nodded, that worry swirling as it had been since this already started. His hands squeezed into fists, trying to control that nervous energy that wouldn’t leave him alone. It had been over twenty-four hours since he had seen Christopher. He didn’t know how he went years without being around his son when today he was going crazy with worry after only a day.

“Eddie?” Buck asked, gently touching his shoulder. Eddie huffed out a breath, having a hard time controlling his never-ending panic.

“I need some air,” Eddie whispered. He quickly walked out the way they came in avoiding everyone’s gazes. He was scared. He was worried. He felt helpless. 

But mostly, he just wanted to know that his son was okay.

* * *

Eddie paced back and forth, chewing on his lip. Even though Christopher had been seen in Austin, Eddie still didn’t feel relief. It was a big city, they could be anywhere. 

“You’re gonna burn a hole in the ground.” He looked up, seeing Marjan standing by the entrance of the building. “You alright?”

“Is no an appropriate answer?” Eddie asked and Marjan nodded. “I just...I’ve been a ball of every complicated emotion for the last twenty four hours and feel like I’m one second from a breakdown.”

“Your son is missing,” Marjan said, walking over to him. “And I’m sure that’s terrifying. But you’ve got a lot of people willing to help you. Carlos, the 126, your badass cop friend, and Buck.” Eddie nodded, a small smile on his face when she mentioned Buck. “Ah, so I was right.”

“Right about what?”

“Back in San Angelo,” Marjan started. “When you followed me on Instagram, I thought you were hitting on me. But then you mentioned Buck and he’s in like half of your most recent pictures on Instagram so…”

“And here I was thinking you were flirting with me.” Marjan snorted at that.

“I mean you’re hot, but you’re not really my type.” Eddie chuckled a little. He was about to say something when Buck exited the building. “I’ll give you two a moment.” She went back inside and Buck walked over to Eddie. They were silent for a moment, Buck watching Eddie and Eddie feeling the need to pace again.

“You know,” Buck said, trying to get Eddie’s mind off the obvious elephant in the room. “I’ve been to Texas twice now and haven’t seen any major cities or landmarks. Supposedly Austin’s weird.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Eddie said, leaning against the brick wall of the station.. “Besides El Paso, I never saw much of Texas. Before I enlisted I didn’t even see much beyond my front door.” Buck just nodded, moving to stand next to him. Eddie let his fingers interlace with Buck’s squeezing his hand. “I know what you’re doing and thank you.”

“I just know how being stuck in worry isn’t good for you or your head.” Eddie just nodded, sighing. “We’re going to find him Eds.”

“I so desperately want to believe you,” Eddie said, sniffing a little. “I want to believe you and Athena and Marjan and everyone inside but it’s just so hard. Chris is missing and I still feel like it’s my fault. And now they’re on foot and I’m terrified that not only is my kid scared but now he could be hurt and…”

“Hey,” Buck said, stopping Eddie from the spiral of anxiety he was falling down. “We’re going to find him Eddie. Even if we don’t eat or sleep, we’ll find him. I’m going to do everything I can to find him.” Eddie smiled sadly and Buck tilted his head. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“You saying you’ll do anything to find Chris,” Eddie said. “I know you will. You’ve already done that for him before. I know you will again.” Buck just watched him, studying Eddie’s actions. Eddie just reached his free hand up, gently running his thumb across Buck’s cheek. “You really love us, don’t you?”

“I really do,” Buck said. Eddie smiled at that and Buck squeezed his hand. “And I’m really looking forward to showing you that when it doesn’t feel like the world is collapsing around us.”

“I look forward to that,” Eddie said, gently letting his hand fall away. Buck squeezed his hand once more before letting go of it. Eddie was about to reach for Buck’s hand when Buck pushed off the wall. Eddie turned towards where Buck was looking and saw that Judd, Carlos, and Athena had come outside. He pushed off the wall as well, hoping they had news. Carlos simply nodded to them before heading to his squad car and driving off.

“We’ve got an idea on how to hopefully find them,” Athena said. She glanced at Judd. “You send me that address?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Uh, where are we going?” Buck asked, tilting his head

“Austin’s Dispatch Center,” Athena said and Eddie pursed his lips.

“My wife, Grace, is a 9-1-1 dispatcher,” Judd explained. “Figured she could help y’all.” 

“Officer Reyes thinks if we can’t track them on the ground,” Athena said. “Maybe we can look for any strange calls coming in.”

“Smart idea,” Buck said, glancing at Eddie. Eddie nodded a flicker of hope flashing through him. Of course, that flicker of hope had been flashing through him every time they tried a new idea. 

Eddie just had to hope that this one was the one that finally worked.

* * *

Eddie kept in step with Carlos as they moved through the Dispatch center. He’d never been in the Los Angeles one, but Buck had remarked that they looked pretty similar; people at computers, answering distress calls and doing their best to get people the help they needed. 

“Grace.” A woman with curly black hair wearing an Austin Dispatch shirt approached them. “Thank you for helping us. Guys, this is Grace Ryder. Grace, this is Eddie, Buck, and Athena.”

“Nice to meet y’all,” Grace said with a polite smile. She started walking back to her desk and the group followed. “We looked into all the calls we’ve gotten within the last few hours. No mention of a man with a boy on crutches.” She sat down at her desk. “They might have ditched the crutches. What does your son look like?”

“About this tall,” Eddie said. “Brown curly hair and black glasses with a red strap around the back.” Grace nodded as she started typing. She was about to say something else when someone called her name. She got up quickly, the others following her. The dispatcher who called her pointed to the screen, Grace nodded before turning to the others. 

“I think we found them,” Grace said. Eddie sucked in a breath, trying to stay calm. Grace looked over at Carlos. “Montopolis Bridge. They’re sending fire and rescue now.”

“Who’s being sent to that call?” Carlos asked. Grace glanced back at the screen.

“The 126.” Eddie sucked in a breath, knowing that was the ladder that Judd and Marjan and everyone else who was trying to help him worked on. _“_ I’ll try to get Judd.”

“And I’ll try TK,” Carlos said. “Thanks again Grace.” Grace nodded as she turned back to the other dispatcher who was dealing with the call. Carlos quickly headed towards the exit, Eddie, Buck, and Athena following after him. Eddie could see Carlos typing out a text as he walked.

“I guess it’s a good thing we all know the ladder responding” Buck said, noticing how quickly Carlos was typing. They reached the exit as Carlos finished the text, nodding to Buck’s question.

“That it is,” Carlos said with a nod. He held the door open for them “Shall we?” And Eddie just nodded, knowing they were finally close to finding his son.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Firefighter Diaz.” Owen said. The woman gave Owen a look. “He’s alright Tommy.” She nodded, stepping away as Eddie moved over to where Owen was standing “I have Paul and Marjan trying to talk him down.”
> 
> “Let me,” Eddie said. Owen was about to say something but Eddie kept going. “That’s my father and son. If anyone can talk to them, it’s me. And not to mention it again, but I am a former Army medic and a firefighter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter! I'm so glad you've all liked the story and I hope you like how it all ends up!

When they arrived at the bridge, Eddie tried to calm the loud thumping of his heart. It was hard though, seeing all the firetrucks and ambulances. He got out of the car, looking around. He didn’t see Christopher or his father. 

“Just keep him calm, Paul.” There was a man standing by one of the trucks, talking into a radio. He turned his head and Eddie recognized him from the San Angelo wildfires. It was Owen Strand, the captain of the 126. He was in charge, so if he wanted to find out what was going on with his son, then he had to get over to Owen. “We just need to keep him relaxed. We don’t want either going over the edge.” Eddie felt his breath catch. Over the edge? They weren’t... 

But as he looked past all the trucks, he could see his father standing on the edge of the bridge, one arm gripping Christopher. And even from far away, Eddie could see the terrified look on his son’s face. 

“Eddie.” It was Carlos talking, but Eddie didn’t care. “Eddie, wait.” But Eddie was already moving. He had to get to Christopher. He had to get to his son. 

But then a woman who he didn’t recognize stopped him.

“Sir, we need civilians to step back.” Eddie went to say something, but found his eyes watching Christopher, terror striking through him. “Sir.”

“Captain Vega.” Carlos was quickly by his side, placating the captain before Eddie. He nodded to the frightening scene unfolding before him. “That’s his son.” Owen, who had been focused on what was happening on the bridge, turned, his eyes filling with recognition when he saw Eddie.

“Firefighter Diaz.” Owen said. The woman gave Owen a look. “He’s alright Tommy.” She nodded, stepping away as Eddie moved over to where Owen was standing “I have Paul and Marjan trying to talk him down.”

“Let me,” Eddie said. Owen was about to say something but Eddie kept going. “That’s my father and son. If anyone can talk to them, it’s me. And not to mention it again, but I am a former Army medic and a firefighter.” Owen sighed before reaching for his radio.

“Paul, Marjan,” He said. Eddie could see Paul and Marjan, glanced at each other before looking at their radios. “Fall back. We’re going to try something different.”

“ _You sure Cap_?” Eddie felt everyone’s eyes on him. He could never imagine Bobby letting a civilian do their job. But he knew what he was doing. And he couldn’t trust anyone else to bring his son to safety. Eddie needed to do that on his own.

“Yeah. I’m sure.” Eddie took in a breath, trying to stay calm. The goal was to get Christopher to safety. That’s what he needed to focus on. 

So, that was what he was going to do.

* * *

Eddie moved past the truck. Owen said he would give Eddie a few minutes, but if he couldn’t talk his dad down, then Owen was sending his team back in. Judd had given Eddie a nod when he had seen him. Eddie wanted to thank him, to thank all of them for being so helpful and understanding. But he was laser focused on getting to Christopher. Athena and Buck were standing nearby, Buck listening while TK spoke quietly to him, while Athena stood with Owen. Eddie had asked them, specifically Buck to be nearby, in case he needed help. 

He kept moving closer, able to make out the looks on his father and Christopher’s face. Christopher looked scared. Eddie could see the way his son was shaking, could see the tears falling down his way. Eddie just wanted to get to his son and comfort him, to hold him and promise it would be okay. 

There was a terrified look in his father’s eyes. Eddie couldn’t tell if it was because of all the people there or what was going on in his head. All Eddie knew was he needed to calm that terror. He needed to get through to his dad, which was a terrifying thought since on a good day he wasn’t sure if he could do that. 

“Dad!” Ramon’s head snapped towards Eddie. Christopher was reaching out for Eddie, a sob escaping his lips. Ramon just tightened his grip on Christopher.

“Edmundo,” Ramon said, his voice quivering. “I…”

“Dad, I know,” Eddie said, still slowly making his way towards them. “Mom told me, okay? And I know it’s scary.”

“I’m fine,” Ramon said, trying to calm his breathing. “I am perfectly fine!”

“Dad,” Eddie pleaded. “Look at Christopher.” Ramon glanced over at Christopher who was heavily crying, his sobs sounding like gasps. “He’s scared and hurt.”

“I’m...I’m just trying to do what’s best for him,” Ramon said, remorsefully. “I just...I made so many mistakes with you, with your sisters. I just want to make it right.”

“I know,” Eddie said. “And I know you think this is what’s right for him. But look at him, dad. What does he really need right now?”

Ramon looked down at Christopher. As he did, Eddie moved so he was right by the edge, just in reaching distance of his son. He could see Christopher reaching for him and Eddie tried to stay calm. He wanted to close the distance and grab Christopher, but he didn’t want to spook his father. So, now that he was close enough, he just stayed put, trying to stay calm.

“I’m sorry,” Ramon choked out, remorse dripping from each word. 

“It’s okay dad,” Eddie said. “Just give me Christopher, okay? It’ll all be okay if you do that.” Ramon nodded. Eddie reached his arms out and Ramon let him take Christopher. As soon as his arms were around his son, the boy let out an anguished sob, wrapping his arms around Eddie. 

“Dad,” Christopher sobbed before burying his face in Eddie’s neck. Eddie just held onto him tightly. 

“It’s okay mijo,” Eddie whispered, lowering himself down to the ground, the stress and anguish finally catching up with him. Christopher just curled further into him, his fingers tightening around Eddie’s shirt. Eddie glanced over at his father, who had come down from the ledge, a pained and remorseful look in his eyes.

Everything seemed to be a blur from there. Eddie remembered Carlos escorting his dad over to a squad car, Athena carefully watching them. Eddie remembered Buck guiding him and Christopher over to the ambulance, Christopher refusing to let go of his dad. Eddie was somewhat aware of Buck being nearby, as Tommy, the woman from earlier who was a paramedic, checked over Christopher. But most of the details were fuzzy for him. 

All he knew was his son was safe. He had Christopher back, safe in his arms. That was all that really mattered to him.

* * *

Eddie sighed as he stood outside of the station that was home to the 126. Christopher was next to him, leaning on his crutches that had been recovered from the abandoned rental car. Buck was on the other side of him, staring at the building as well. 

“Are we going inside?” Christopher asked, glancing at Eddie and then at Buck. Buck looked over at him and Eddie smiled a little. They had tried to talk a little the previous night about what comes next for them. But Christopher had been extra clingy after what he had gone through and Eddie was more than okay with having his son firmly by his side. So, he knew they needed to talk, but that could wait a few more hours until they headed back to LA. 

“In a second,” Eddie said, ruffling his son’s hair. “We’re just waiting for…” He trailed off as he saw Carlos pull up in his car. 

“I see you guys got here before me,” Carlos said with a smile as he got out of the car. “Where’s Athena?”

“She started the drive back to LA,” Buck said. “She’s a busy woman.”

“A formative one too,” Carlos said with a chuckle. “Well, why don’t we head inside.” Eddie nodded and walked in step with Carlos towards the station. “About your dad…”

“I’m not going to press charges,” Eddie said and Carlos’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “He’s sick Carlos, not malicious. I want him to get the help he needs and he’s not going to find it from the other side of a jail cell.” Carlos nodded. “My mom is flying down today to get him and make sure he gets the help he needs.”

“You’re a forgiving man,” Carlos said. “And an even better father.” Eddie was about to say something when Christopher let out an excited shout. 

“Dad, look!” He smiled as he saw Christopher staring in awe at a big, shaggy dog. “There’s a dog here!”

“That’s Buttercup.” Owen, who had his hands tucked into the pockets of his uniform, approached them, a smile on his face. “He’s kind of like our station mascot.”

“Can I pet him dad?” Christopher asked, looking up at Eddie with pure glee in his eyes. It warmed Eddie’s heart, seeing his son so happy after what he had been through.

“If it’s alright with them,” Eddie said. Owen nodded and Christopher grinned before making his way to the dog. Eddie watched as Marjan approached Christopher and spoke with him as he gently pet the dog. 

“I’ll give you guys a moment,” Buck said before walking over to where Christopher was.

“Hey Owen, where’s TK?” Carlos asked. 

“Kitchen,” Owen said, nodding towards an unseen room “He and Mateo are fighting with the espresso machine.” Carlos snorted before headings towards where Owen had nodded. Once he was gone, Eddie let out a sigh.

“Thanks for letting me...you know.” Owen nodded as Judd approached. “I wanted to thank all of you, actually. For helping, for letting me step in at the bridge, for all of it.”

“Of course,” Owen said with an understanding smile. “Nothing more important to a father than his son’s safety.” Eddie nodded, remembering that TK, one of the other firefighters at the 126 was Owen’s son. He remembered how terrified TK had been when the helicopter had gone down. He was sure the worry would have been the same if the situation had been reversed.

“Well thank you for understanding anyways,” Eddie said. Owen just nodded with a smile before walking away. Eddie looked over towards where Christopher was, not quite over the events of the previous day. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw Christopher, safe and sound. 

“You doing alright?” Judd asked. Eddie glanced at him and the taller male just watched him. 

“Much better now,” Eddie said. “I’m still terrified to let Christopher out of my sight.” The boy was sitting on the ground, happily petting Buttercup, who was using his thigh as a pillow. Marjan was seated next to Christopher, making the boy giggle as she scratched Buttercup’s ears. Buck, who was sitting on the other side of Christopher, looked up, catching Eddie’s eye. He smiled before getting up, whispering something to Christopher, who glanced at Eddie and waved. 

“He’s in good hands,” Judd said as Buck approached. “Buck, right? Sorry we didn’t get to work together more last time.”

“Yeah well it was a chaotic day,” Buck said. “Though I’m glad you know my name. Thought you’d just call me ‘dumbass’ again.” Judd chuckled at that. “Oh, by the way, can you send along our thanks to Grace? She was really helpful yesterday.”

“I’d be happy to,” Judd said. “She’s damn good at her job.” As Buck and Judd kept talking, Eddie zoned out of the conversation. He glanced back over at Christopher. A few more of the crew members from the station, including the paramedic who had checked over Christopher, had come over, clearly invested in the idea of a kid playing with their station’s dog. Eddie smiled watching his son giggle as the dog licked his face. He was lucky because of a lot of things but having a son like Christopher, a kid who was so resilient and could still smile after everything he had been through?

Well that made Eddie the luckiest guy in the world.

“Would you mind settling something for me and the rest of the crew?” Judd asked as Eddie glanced back over at him. “Was there really a firefighter in LA who had a piece of rebar go through his head?” Buck snorted as Eddie glanced at him.

“Yeah, we work with him.”

“He’s practically my brother-in-law.” Eddie chuckled as Judd called over to some other firefighters. As Buck was pulled into their conversation, Eddie made his way over to his son.

“Dad!” Christopher attached himself to Eddie’s leg as soon as he was close enough. Eddie just chuckled, picking his son up. “I think Buttercup really likes me!”

“Oh really?” Eddie said with a smile and Christopher nodded. 

“You should tell your Captain that you guys need a dog,” Christopher said. “And then I can come by all the time and play with it.” Eddie just chuckled, pressing a kiss to his son’s head. “Can I play with Buttercup some more?”

“Sure mijo,” Eddie said. “But only for a little bit because then we have to head to the airport.” Christopher nodded and then just stared at Eddie. Eddie raised an eyebrow and Christopher giggled. 

“You have to put me down so I can play with Buttercup.” Eddie smirked before pressing another kiss to his son’s head. 

“In a second,” Eddie said, hugging his son a little tighter. “I love you so much Christopher.”

“I love you too dad,” The boy said, happily curling into the embrace. Maybe Eddie was a little bit more clingy as well after everything, but he didn’t think that was a bad thing. After all, he needed just as much reassuring after everything that had happened.

“Alright,” Eddie said, setting Christopher down. “Go play with Buttercup. But we’re leaving in about ten minutes, okay?” Christopher nodded before moving back to where the dog was lying. Eddie just watched as he sat down, petting the dog, who just huffed in satisfaction at the attention. 

“Man.” He didn’t have to look away to know Buck was now standing next to him. “Chim is gonna love that he’s kind of famous to this crew.” 

“You show them a picture?” Eddie asked, glancing over at Buck. The blonde chuckled, but nodded. They fell into companionable silence as they both observed Christopher. 

“You know, someone should convince Bobby to get a dog for the station,” Buck said and Eddie snorted. “What?”

“Why is it that you have the same thought process as my kid?” Buck shrugged, a smile on his face. “At least it’s good that my two favorite people are on the same page.” Buck’s face lit up at that and Eddie smiled. “When we get back to LA...I’d really like to talk and figure things out.”

“Yeah?” Buck asked, a shy smile on his face. Eddie glanced down at Buck’s hands, which were awkwardly fidgeting with the ends of his jacket. Eddie just smiled, reaching out to take one of Buck’s hands. 

“Yeah.” And Buck just squeezed his hand, letting Eddie know that he was completely okay with that plan. And Eddie couldn’t help but smile as he looked back over at his son, more and more of the past few days’ tension melting away.

* * *

“Eds.” Eddie’s eyes slowly opened as he felt someone shake his shoulder. He smiled a little when he saw it was Buck. “Movie’s over.” Eddie nodded, sitting up a little, careful not to jostle Christopher, who was using his chest as a pillow. 

“Guess I was tired,” Eddie said with a yawn. Buck just chuckled as he turned the TV off. They had gotten back from Texas a few hours ago. Maddie and Chimney had picked them up from the airport, talking about the baby, and how Bobby took a few days off to meet Athena halfway so they could have a little vacation, or about anything but the ordeal they had been through. Eddie had a sneaking suspicion Buck had asked them to do that and he was honestly grateful. 

He knew he still needed to process what had happened. The adrenaline and fear had worn off. And while Eddie was relieved that Christopher was okay and safe, he knew this wasn’t the end of this situation. There was everything that was going to happen with his dad. There was the emotional and physical damage that his dad had caused that they would have to deal with. Eddie was sure he would need to book a few therapy sessions for both himself and Christopher. 

But that could wait until at least tomorrow. 

“I guess I should get him into bed,” Eddie said, glancing down at his sleeping son. Buck, having been so amazing during the whole ordeal, had suggested getting Christopher into his pajamas before they started the movie. “Is it ridiculous that I just want to bring him into my room?”

“No,” Buck said with a small smile. “In fact, I think that’s a great idea.”

“Really?” Eddie asked. 

“Yeah,” Buck said with a nod. “I think it’s what you both need.” Eddie smiled, slowly standing up as he did, keeping Christopher close to him as he did. Once he was standing, he adjusted his son in his arms, Christopher’s head taking up residence on his shoulder. He headed down the hallway towards his room, hearing the soft padding of Buck’s feet behind him. He walked into his room and over to the bed, pulling the covers back before setting Christopher down on the bed. 

“I guess I should get going.” Eddie turned to face Buck, confusion on his face. Buck was holding his jacket. 

“Why would you do that?” Eddie asked. He crossed over to Buck and the blonde shrugged shyly. “You’re the one who said we’d all come home together.” A blush crossed Buck’s cheeks. 

“I just thought you two might want some space,” Buck said. “You know, just a moment to breathe after all of this.” Eddie shook his head, a smile stretching across his lips. His hands came up to cradle Buck’s face, Buck’s blue eyes watching him intently. 

“Buck, you’ve been by my side during all of this,” Eddie said. “And I am eternally grateful for that. But I don’t just want you here during the bad moments. I want you here during the good too.”

“Is this the part where we talk?” Buck asked and Eddie chuckled before pressing a tender kiss to Buck’s lips. Buck hummed against his lips, his arms wrapping around Eddie’s waist. 

“I want you here,” Eddie said. “As my boyfriend or partner, it doesn’t really matter to me as long as you’re here, with me. With us.” He glanced back at Christopher, who was still fast asleep. When he looked back at Buck, he was smiling. “Is that something you want?”

“Yeah” Buck said before kissing Eddie again. “Sounds like everything I want.”

“Good,” Eddie said with a smile as his hands fell down to his side. “Now, I’d really like you to stay.”

“Okay.” Eddie smiled before stepping away to grab the clothes he slept in. He tossed Buck some spare clothes as well, the blonde watching him with an adoring gaze that had Eddie blushing. Eddie continued to catch Buck watching him with that look as they changed, Eddie feeling like he was blushing like a teenager. And when they were both changed and ready to finally rest, Eddie grabbed Buck’s arm, tugging him towards him. 

“Thank you,” Eddie said. “For...well for everything. For how calm you were when I know you were freaking out as well. For being with me every step of the way. For being here now. Just...thank you Buck.”

“I’ve got your back,” Buck said with a smile. “His too.” He nodded towards Christopher and Eddie smiled. “Now come on. I think all three of us deserve at least a full day of rest.”

“You already called Bobby, didn’t you?” Eddie asked as he got into the bed. He gently pulled Christopher closer to him, the boy burrowing in towards his chest.

“He’s not the only one who deserves a few days off,” Buck said as he laid down on the other side. Eddie just smiled, reaching his free hand over Christopher’s head to take Buck’s hand. Buck just let his fingers interlace with Eddie’s, the smile still on his face. Eddie glanced down at Christopher, grateful that his son was right there and that he was okay. “Eddie, everything’s going to be okay.”

“I know,” Eddie said, looking back up at Buck, a smile on his face. And as he settled against his pillow, one arm wrapped around his son, the other interlaced with Buck’s fingers, Eddie finally was able to believe that.


End file.
